15/4/2008

Local News

"Not long now..."

Week 9

Easy run: 30minutes Level 1
Interval training: 40 sessions. 10 minute warm up, then 5 x 60 seconds at Level 5 with 60-second recoveries at Level 1. Five minutes jog at Level 1 then repeat 5 x 60. Five minute cool down.
Steady run- 60 minutes at Level 2
Long run: 140-150 minutes Level 1 but including 4 x 1 mile at Level 2.

Session 3- Killed my seven mile time this week with a 59 minute finish. This gave me an average time of 8 minutes and 37 seconds per mile.

Not brilliant but better than any of the averages I have managed to pull out of the bag so far.

It was also way better than any fast runs I have done before.

If you have read my previous blog you will know the last time Tooms tried to make me up the ante a bit we ended up arguing because I didn’t really understand what was going on or the aim of it. Plus it hurt and I am a wimp.

This time I managed to keep up all the way around. I still found it very difficult to breathe properly and it hurt a lot but knowing it was going to stop at some point (i.e. after  about 60 minutes) made it easier to cope with.

I guess this was our steady run although it was at around Level 5. I felt brilliant afterwards because I was able to see a measurable difference in my performance. Eight minutes does not sound much to reduce your time by but it is quite significant. 

Session 2- Interval training runs make me realise how useful Tooms’ incredibly expensive noisy watch is.

I love runs where we get to sprint as well.

It is amazing where you find energy from to do it.

I remember on one of the very first runs we went on before we started to follow the training programme and I was beyond terrible at running any distance beyond a few metres he made me run as fast as I could on the home stretch (about 400 metres).

This was after I had moaned all the way around that I couldn’t go any further and I was definitely going to die if he made me carry on.

Yet somehow, I was able to find the energy to sprint all the way home.

Of course this turned out to be all part of his evil plan to make me admit I was more than capable of pushing myself further than I said I could and my barrier was psychological as opposed to physical.

As much as it killed me to admit it he was totally right and unfortunately for me, meant I had no excuse not to be able to do much better on the next run.

I am such a geek for falling for it…

I went out for the easy 30 minute run by myself. It was fairly uneventful.

I find short runs quite frustrating now. I always want to carry on further and push myself more so I tend to do them at Level 4 or 5 to make it a little more challenging.

Maybe they are included on the schedule to make you feel that way. I had quite a busy weekend so didn’t get around to the long run this week which was slightly disappointing, especially given the way I had felt after the 30 minute run.

Week 10

Steady run- 60 minutes at Level 2
Threshold run: 20 minutes continuous at Level 3
Easy run 30 minutes at Level 1 OR cross-training
Interval session: 50 minutes, 10 minute warm up, 8 x 2 minutes at Level 4 with two minute recoveries at Level 1, five minutes cool down.
Long run: 60-90 minutes off-road Level 2.

None of the five runs on this week’s schedule were difficult but the fact that there were so many made it hard to fit them all in.

I did the threshold run, long run and steady run. I left the easy run at 30 minutes.

Although these are brilliant to keep you moving I wanted to make sure I locked down the more challenging runs as a priority especially as I missed off the long run last week.

I started focusing more on fundraising this week. Although a few people have made donations online via my justgiving page it seems a lot of people are rather traditional about how they donate and asked for sponsorship form.

I found a Leonard Cheshire one in my marathon pack, printed it off and passed it round my office. I also printed one for Tooms and my Mum who offered to take one to work.

The response was brilliant. My sister donated £100 and her boyfriend offered to sponsor me £10 a mile which is incredible. He agreed to split the total between myself and Tooms which gives us £131 each- so generous.

I have also collected a load of junk hanging around the house from the last time Tooms and I moved in the hope we might be able to palm some of it off at a car boot sale.

It is incredible how much rubbish two people can accumulate over two years. There is a car boot sale every Sunday quite close to where I live so I will be looking more into that soon. One’s person’s trash and all that.

Week 11

Easy run: 30 minutes at Level 1
Interval session: 50 minutes 10 minute warm up then 6 x 4 minute reps at Level 3-4, with two minute recovery. Finish session at Level 1- 2.
Steady run: 60 minutes at Level 2
Long run: 160-170 minutes at Level 1 but including 3 x 2 miles at Level 2.

According to the Bible that is the Marathon News you should not attempt to run if you cannot do 15 miles comfortably so this week Tooms and I did just that.

Except we ran 16 miles. Our first hurdle was to find a suitable route. Boredom plays a big factor in running for Tooms and as anyone who runs any kind of distance will know your home suroundings can get pretty dull after a while. here are also only so many songs you can download on your IPod/ generic MP3 player before they start to sound a little tired.

We thought about driving somewhere and then running eight miles there and eight miles back but I got scared we wouldn't make it back and get stranded so we expanded one of our normal routes by a little bit instead.

I didnt find this run too bad. My legs really hurt but I dont think I have hit what they call 'the wall' yet.

I kind of want to so at least I know how to get through it. I am worried that this will be the furthest I will have the opportunity to run and it will show up on the day. As it was, that run took just under three hours- that is without warming up or warming down- it just takes such a huge chunk out of your day.

I suppose I will just have to see whether I am able to fit another one in and if not, see how I go.

I did the 30 minute run early in the week. This was easy to fit in after work as it was so short and it is a little lighter in the evenings now.

I upped the pace on this one a little on this one because I really struggle to run so slow for short distances.

The steady run was a bit more interesting. I seem to settle into longer runs after about four miles now which on 60 minute runs is annoying because it feels as though you are just getting going .

Having run above the recommended minimum amount I feel a little more confident about the marathon but I am worried at having not worked through all that wall jazz. It's all becoming a bit real now...

We were meant to do a car boot sale this week but it was snowing when I woke up to pack the car so we delayed it until next week.

Week 12

Easy run: 30 minutes
Threshold run: 20 minutes at Level 3
Long run: 170- 180 minutes Level 1 but including 3 x 2 miles at Level 2 or half marathon to 20 mile race.

Tooms and I got our Leonard Cheshire vests! They are amazing. They have a cute dog on the back and came with letter transfers for us to iron our names on. Being the mature adults we are these provided us with hours of fun. We also got our final instructions. Yikes.

We are going to register at Excel House near Canary Wharf next Thursday in a bid to avoid the inevitable hoards of people who leave it until the last minute. 
 
Short schedule this week. I went out three times and did the easy and threshold run but not the long run.

Working on a 10 minute mile it would have been about 17 miles so just a mile longer than last week.

People keep telling me different things about the long distance runs- some say you should not do more than 15 miles and others say you should complete a full marathon before.

Other people say the worst thing you can do is complete a whole marathon before. The confusion! Not helping.

I have trusted Tooms to help me prepare for this so far and I trust him when he says I can do this. It feels like I am on death row here. I am really keen to get it over with now.

Even though I have been training for a lot less time than other people who their places confirmed in October it feels like forever since I started.

Week 13

Threshold run: 20 minutes at Level 3
Easy run: 30 minutes at Level 1 or cross-training
Interval session: 45 minutes five minute warm ups then 3 x 1 mile reps at Level 4 with three minute jog between each to recover. Finish session at Level 1-2.
Steady run: 45 minutes at Level 2
Long run: 180- 190 minutes at Level 1 but including 2 x 3 miles at Level 2.

Nerves are really setting in now. Everytime I think about the marathon I feel a bit sick. I saw an advert on television for it this week which really freaked me out.

I watched it all the way through completely objectively and then suddenly realised I was actually going to be running it. Too much!

Registration on Thursday was reasonaly painless. Tooms and I managed to avoid huge queues and everybody there was lovely.

We picked up our running numbers and a chip we are meant to attach to our trainers. Apparently it will measure our times.

We were also asked for our email addresses although I am not sure why. There was a big marathon exhibition there which we went round and picked up things like carb bars (yum).

I notice all sport orientated food are orange 'flavour'. Someone needs to look into this as a token degree of choice would be nice.

There was a big wall there where you could write good luck messages to people so we wrote one for one another and posted them up.

Both Tooms and I went out running alone a couple of times as we were both busy at work this week and kept missing each other.

Our final run together however was not without drama. On Sunday we went out for a run IN THE SNOW.

Ok so it is hard enough to haul arse out ON A SUNDAY IN THE SNOW for a 13 mile run alone right?

Well get this. We are running along, on about mile six when some absolute slice of scum drives past and throws a full, open can of Stella at Tooms, hitting him in the chest and arm. What the hell? Oh my goodness the rage.

What kind of human stain does that to a random person running along the road ON A SUNDAY, IN THE SNOW, training for the MARATHON which he is running for CHARITY.

Even writing about it now makes me want to want to hurt them. Anyway he now has a huge bruise below his rib cage- thank you, whoever did that, because that will really REALLY help him along when he is running 26.2 MILES in a matter of days- and a big bruise with three scratches on his forearm. Poor bunny.

Tooms is fairly placid, in fact kind of scarily so to the point where sometimes I wonder whether he actually has emotions- but that really angered him.

He spent most of the run looking behind him waiting for them to drive back and I found it very hard to focus as well. He reported it to the police when we got home. He wasn't going to but I pointed out that if he didnt, they would only do it someone else and could really hurt someone.

Anyway, we ended up completing the 13 miles in 2hrs and 8 minutes which is pretty much right on track for a 10 minute mile (9 minutes and 49 seconds per mile).

I couldn't feel my legs in the end and they completely gave way beneath me when we stopped which was a little scary but apparently is likely to be just nerves setting in. Not long now.

Read more of Melanie's blogs here.

First printed in: Surrey Advertiser Online